Officials get familiar with downtown's vast array of businesses

Friday

Aug 15, 2014 at 10:26 AMAug 15, 2014 at 10:26 AM

By Danielle AmedenDaily News Staff

FRAMINGHAM - From top Brazilian fashions, Vietnamese pho and El Salvadorian pupusas to an Egyptian entrepreneur’s pizza and Ukrainian immigrant’s shoe repairs, downtown’s diverse small businesses are proud of their merchandise, services and good eats.So they were glad to be the focus of a "story tour" that led a large group of planners, town officials, immigration advocates and community leaders up and down Concord Street Thursday morning.Brought together by Framingham Downtown Renaissance and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the leaders split off into smaller groups and went into shops and restaurants to get to know the people behind the counter."This is the big dream for my grandma," Keily Cabrera told the group who stopped at Pupusas y Tacos Dona Sofia at 40 Concord St. Cabrera said her late grandmother, Sofia Mancia, came to America from El Salvador 35 years ago, and opened the eatery in 2011.She offered up their specialty: a pork-filled pupusa made of corn flour that resembles a pancake: "To get the better taste, you have to use your hands to eat it," she said."It was very good," said Department of Public Works Director Peter Sellers, who was in the tour group. "I’ll definitely come back there."At Ta Chic, a Brazilian fashion store at 55 Hollis St., manager Yasmin Mazzinghy said she really likes the area and has never had a problem with safety downtown, but is glad the town opened the new Burkis Square police substation a few doors down.Mazzinghy said she has customers from all over, including Martha’s Vineyard, who come to shop for clothes that are made in Brazil."What my customers complain about," she said, "is the parking."Organizers said the goal of the tour is to build relationships and help inform the planning process to make downtown more walkable and vibrant.Among other stops, the tour highlighted Neca’s Bakery at 22 Irving St., Brandolini Shoe Repair at 56 Union Ave., Urbano’s Furniture at 84 Concord St., Frescafe at 82 Concord St. and Party Flowers and Gaseta Photography across the street at 83 Concord St."Observation No. 1," Town Manager Robert Halpin said, identifying a need while waiting for the walk signal to safely cross Waverly street: "Better pedestrian crossing."Ilma Paixao, of Framingham’s Brazilian American radio station WSRO, said she was so pleased to see the tour come together and hopes it will help downtown’s revitalization."You can’t make change unless you’re willing to be part of the change itself," she said.Part of the MAPC’s Metro Future Walks & Talks series, the tour gives some guidance to a study the planning organization has just begun to match Framingham’s development and revitalization goals for the district – including the desire for higher density – with transportation improvements the state has committed to funding.Holli Andrews, director of Framingham Downtown Renaissance, said it is important to introduce local businesses to the people "whose jobs have an impact on the businesses."In a post-tour confab, the officials and planners said they were struck by the savvy, hard work and determination of the downtown business owners and the variety of shops. "And how blind we were to their stories," said Dale Hamel, a leader on the Renaissance Board of Directors and executive vice president at Framingham State University.The tour ended with a cookout at Deluxe Depot Diner, an all-day eatery that’s expected to open after Labor Day on the corner of Waverly and Concord streets.The group loudly applauded diner owner Don Levy, who said afterward he wants to be a part of downtown’s resurgence."We hope to be a very integral part of the neighborhood and Framingham," Levy said.Danielle Ameden can be reached at 508-626-4416 or dameden@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @damedenMW.

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